Proverbs 6 (New American Standard)

Parental Counsel

1 My son, if you have become ¹surety for your neighbor, Have ^agiven a pledge for a stranger, 2 If you have been snared with the words of your mouth, Have been caught with the words of your mouth, 3 Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself ; Since you have come into the ^bhand of your neighbor, Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor. 4 Give no ²sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids ; 5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter's hand And like a ³bird from the hand of the fowler. 6 Go to the ⁴ant, O ⁵sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, 7 Which, having ⁶no chief, Officer or ruler, 8 Prepares her food ⁷in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest. 9 How long will you lie down, O sluggard ? When will you arise from your sleep ? 10 "⁸A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to ^crest "- 11 ⁹Your poverty will come in like a ^dvagabond And your need like ^ean armed man. 12 A ¹⁰worthless person, a wicked man, Is the one who walks with a ¹¹perverse mouth, 13 Who ¹²winks with his eyes, who ^fsignals with his feet, Who ^gpoints with his fingers ; 14 Who with ¹³perversity in his heart continually ¹⁴devises evil, Who ^h15spreads strife. 15 Therefore ¹⁶his calamity will come suddenly ; ¹⁷Instantly he will be broken and there will be ¹⁸no healing. 16 There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination ⁱto Him: 17 ¹⁹Haughty eyes, a ²⁰lying tongue, And hands that ²¹shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises ²²wicked plans, ²³Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A ²⁴false witness who utters lies, And one who ^j25spreads strife among brothers. 20 ²⁶My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the ^kteaching of your mother ; 21 ²⁷Bind them continually on your heart ; Tie them around your neck. 22 When you ²⁸walk about, ^lthey will guide you; When you sleep, ^mthey will watch over you; And when you awake, ⁿthey will talk to you. 23 For ²⁹the commandment is a lamp and the ^oteaching is light ; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life 24 To ³⁰keep you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the ^padulteress. 25 ³¹Do not desire her beauty in your heart, Nor let her capture you with her ³²eyelids. 26 For ³³on account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread, And ^qan adulteress ³⁴hunts for the precious life. 27 Can a man ^rtake fire in his bosom And his clothes not be burned ? 28 Or can a man walk on hot coals And his feet not be scorched ? 29 So is the one who ³⁵goes in to his neighbor's wife ; Whoever touches her ³⁶will not ^sgo unpunished. 30 ^tMen do not despise a thief if he steals To ³⁷satisfy ^uhimself when he is hungry ; 31 But when he is found, he must ³⁸repay sevenfold ; He must give all the ^vsubstance of his house. 32 The one who commits adultery with a woman is ³⁹lacking ^wsense ; He who would ⁴⁰destroy ^xhimself does it. 33 Wounds and disgrace he will find, And his reproach will not be blotted out. 34 For ⁴¹jealousy ^yenrages a man, And he will not spare in the ⁴²day of vengeance. 35 He will not ^zaccept any ransom, Nor will he be ^aasatisfied though you give many ^bbgifts.